Dark Soul
by Emu
Summary: What happens when one of the Digidestined is kidnapped by a new source of evil? Ken torture in the making! Old & new kids involved. Rating subject to change. New chapter added: Chapter 5 Losing Control
1. A short teaser

Emu: Well, I wrote this when I was bored and had writers block so it may kinda stink. 

Puppetmon: Not to mention it's confusing.

Cat: And depressing.

Emu: Well, I did file it under drama.

Puppetmon: oh yeah.

Emu: Anyway, should anyone like this I am sorry but you will have to wait a while for the next chapter, as I need to finish two other stories first. So, sorry. Puppetmon?

Puppetmon: Huh? Oh right, Emu is very poor and owns nothing and should she in the future then run for your pitiful lives.

Cat: Screaming helps.

Emu: Gee, thanks.

"Keeeennnn!" Yolei's cracked voice cried out, only to be lost in the harsh blizzard winds. Stumbling she clutched on to TK and tried to steady herself. TK helped her back up but remained close to her. Kari was blindly struggling on up by Davis but had to slow as the hip deep snow accumulated to block her path. The digimon shivered violently and kept close to their partners for even the smallest amount of warmth.

            The landscape in the digiworld was a vicious swirl of cruel wind. Ice was piled high on each side and no life was seen. You couldn't see two feet in front of you and the snow sent small thrills of fire rushing down your skin. Only someone crazy would come to this barren land. The digidestend though, were very motivated. They had to find a lost friend who they knew was swiftly losing hope. 

            "DAVIS!" TK shouted over the whir of the onslaught of snow. "This isn't working! We need to turn back!" Davis looked hard at TK and then at his D-3. A very faint signal flashed somewhere in the distance. He straightened and determinedly trotted on. "DID YOU HEAR ME?!" TK was getting flustered. "DAVIS! PLEASE! We won't be any help if we FREEZE to death!"

            "I-I have t-t-to agree with TK," Kari shivered harshly. "It's c-cold and we are l-lost." Davis looked back at his small band of digidestined. They all were tinged with blue and moving like leaves in the wind. He didn't want to give up just yet, especially with Joe on his way but knew that if they went much farther that they would become human ice cubs. Sighing in defeat, he slumped slightly and trudged back to the others.

            "Okay," he said barely audible. "We can go back." The usual gleam in his eyes seemed to fade. Without another word, the troop turned back towards the nearest digiport. Yolei looked back into the depths of the blizzard. She just couldn't bring herself to give up yet but the others were right. Her feet had become two sacks of numb flesh, incapable of too much movement. A single tear slid down her frozen cheek before she turned and followed the others.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            It was not long before a familiar glow filled the computer lab and with it came depressed, cold travelers. Cody screeched to a stop in front of the lab in a huff. Looking at his friends he was shocked and disappointed at their current states. "Are you guys alright?" he asked in concern.

            "We're alive aren't we?" replied Davis dully. Just then, Joe came panting into the room. Glancing at the sad faces of the younger children, he sighed and leaned against the wall.

            "I'm assuming that you didn't find him then?" Slow nods were his only response. "I guess I really didn't help then, huh?" Normally, someone would have broken in and made a witty remark to lighten the mood but thus was not the case today. Everyone simply ignored the comment and filed out past him. All went their separate ways as Joe watched. He lingered in the room a moment longer before turning off the light and venturing out into the sunny world outside. Compared to the area in the digiworld the others had just emerged from, this world was a paradise. Joe hardly noticed this though.

            He quickly found himself at the door of his apartment but didn't seem to notice. He was lost deep in thought. It had only been a week ago when the group had been happy and carefree. Laughing. Now laughter was hard to come by. No one thought it could happen so quickly. Why? Why did t happen? He couldn't fathom it. Maybe Izzy could figure something out. Yeah, Izzy would, wouldn't he? Joe kicked off his shoes carelessly and fell onto his couch. It was hopeless. He had never been one to really give up so easily, well maybe when he was younger but he had matured. How could they get out of this one? They didn't even have a clue who the enemy was. Hopeless.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Slamming the door in aggravation, Davis punched the wall. They were so CLOSE! He knew but now his friend would just be whisked off again since they saw them looking for him. They? WHO WERE THEY?! "COWARDS!" he cried ruefully while Veemon nodded in understanding. They couldn't even show their horrid faces. Why did they have to take Ken? Hadn't he suffered enough? Ken would know what to do. With that thought in mind. Davis stood straight and stalked over to the computer. So help me. He thought. I am not letting Ken down. I won't sit back and do nothing! "DO YOU HERE ME? I WON'T LET YOU WIN! NEVER!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kari grabbed he mug of hot chocolate and rubbed her worn fingers tiredly together. It had been a long day. She glanced out the window and saw the smiling faces of the children who played down below. They don't have a clue. I suppose that they're lucky to be so free of burden. Sighing, she sipped some of the hot chocolate and watched the children play for a while. Absently, she began to pet Gatomon, who rubbed against her in support. If only everything was like that. So innocent and without worry. But darkness was always there. No matter how innocent a being could originally appear, they could always b swept up by evil. Thinking on the subject, her thoughts were drawn to Ken. He was so kind and gentle but what a monster he had been. Life was malicious and eventually every creature would discover this hard lesson. Look at the pain being caused now and the terror that are sure to come. Staring back at the children, a shadow of a smile graced her chapped lips. But maybe, just maybe, for now, the innocence could live on and perhaps conquer those terrors.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TK slumped to the floor of his room. They gave up. He was hope and they GAVE UP! And it was him who gave up to. He knew Ken was in pain and yet he couldn't handle a small storm? Okay, maybe it wasn't a small storm and we WOULD have frozen to death, but he still felt…defeated. If they had only paid more attention to what was going on then maybe they could have stopped this from happening. Lost, lost to darkness. TK suddenly grew enraged as he flung his hat across the room, "DAMN STUPID DARKNESS!" He started to rip papers to shreds in a maddened rage. Kicking and punching, he screamed while Patamon watched with scared eyes. Finally, he fell again to the floor and panted. 

            Patamon hovered cautiously over the spent boy before landing on his shoulder. "Don't give up TK," he whispered quietly. "You can't give up. You can't," he said as he turned his sorrowful gaze to his partner's eyes.

            "You're right. We won't give up. NOT EVER!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hawkmon peered worriedly at his partner. She hadn't said a word sense they had returned and he was becoming worried. All she did was stare blankly at the wall. He was suddenly pulled out of his thought as the girl in question burst into tears. "Oh Hawkmon," she sobbed. "Will we ever get him back?" Hawkmon could merely pat her back and wipe her tears away. Would they, he just didn't know.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Somewhere deep in the snow covered caves of the digiworld, one wretched soul screamed in agony. Deep, wicked laughter filled the air.

Emu: There you be. Again, sorry if it was bad. I promise that IF I continue this that the next chapter will be MUCH better.

Cat: Notice the IF.

Puppetmon: Yes, you're better off just leaving now.

Emu: WHAT?! HEY! Don't mess with the reviewers!


	2. Caw?

Emu: I actually wrote another chapter.

Cat: Not to mention you put off your other story for it.

Emu: HEY! I will make the next chap. for that tomorrow. **Nods**

Puppetmon: Yeah, sure. 

Emu: **Glares** Anyway, I wanted to thank Ken's Luver for this. Thanks! This chapter is ofically is dedicated to you. Also, if you have not read Ken Luver's stories, you should! They are very good. If you like Lord of the Rings then you should check out The One Daughter of Fate. She has a neat story that centers around a made up character but give it a chance. I think you'll like it. Puppetmon, if you would.

Puppetmon: Emu still owns nothing so ha! I laugh at all of you!

(Note: This chapter and a few to follow take place a week before the prologue/teaser and will lead up to it and then go back to the present, K?)

Pitter patter. Pitter patter. Ken gazed blankly at the vast ocean of sand that he was surrounded by. There were no trees, no rocks, not even a scraggly tuft of grass. Everywhere it was just sand. Bright, yellow sand that seemed to sparkle in the…light? Ken blinked as he realized that there was no sun. There was absolutely nothing in the sky but endless puffy clouds. The where was the light coming from? He stood pondering this phenomenon when he heard something.

            Turning to his left he could just faintly make out what sounded like a bird. Where was it coming from though? Tuning into the sound he walked stealthily in the direction from which the sound was surely emitted. Closer and closer he came and soon began to run in anticipation. Where was that blasted bird? His heart started to hammer in his chest as he ran faster. His lungs yearned for much needed air but he didn't, couldn't stop. He seemed to be in a trance as his eyes stared intently forward.

            The birds resounding caw was becoming deafening and he was sure he would lose his hearing when suddenly, it stopped. Looking around he found himself to be lost in more of the endless sand. Where did that bird go? Where had he run to? Everything seemed to mirror everything else and he was certain that if he ran in one direction, he would run by the same spot going the opposite way. He scratched his head and was about to wander off when something black hobbled into view.

            The blob of black swiftly transformed into a bundle of feathers. A beak appeared as well as small feet embedded with large claws. Shaking its head to and fro, the form regarded him coldly for a moment before letting out a shriek filled caw. 

            A raven? What in the world is a raven doing here, ken thought confusedly. Where is here? While Ken though the Raven began to bounce back in forth in an odd little jig. It hopped rapidly, stirring up sand. A small twister formed and blew towards Ken.

            Ken's jaw dropped when the twister miraculously doubled in size. His arms flew up on their own accord as protection. Sand began to pelt him as the twister came ever near. Somehow acquiring limbs, the twister reached for him with transparent arms. Just when it was about to grab him, it disappeared.

            Ken stood in utter bewilderment. What was going on? The raven looked on in amusement before turning and retreating in the other direction. Ken hesitated for a second then followed the bizarre bird. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

            Coming up behind the bird, he reached for it. The bird in turn whirled around and side stepped out of the way. It flew a small way away and settled firmly on the ground. "Caw!" it crowed angrily. 

            "Get back here you pest!" Ken frustrated grabbed at the bird again whom did the same move as before.

            "Caw! CAW! Cawwwww!" The bird mocked him and let out a rolling laughter. It cleaned its razor sharp beak and with incredibly speed, dove at Ken. Ken was too stunned to move and yelped as the beak jabbed into his arm, knocking him over. Blood started to ooze down his cut arm. The bird landed gracefully and observed Ken harshly. 

            Flapping its wings, it lifted off of the ground and circled around him. Making sham dives, it watched ken with an unknown fascination. With out warning, it screamed piercingly. The ground began to rumble and the sand abruptly sank, bringing Ken with it. Ken saw the bird laughing madly before he fell into darkness.

Whack! Ken jerked violently and met the gaze of his very aggravated teacher. Slapping a ruler against his wrist, he huffed out his chest. "It would seem Ken that my lecture bores you. Is that the case?"

Gulping slightly, Ken shook his head in the negative and blushed brightly. The teacher opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the school bell. Grasping all of his things, Ken bolted out the door and quickly out of the school building. Once he was walking home, he began to wonder about his little dream. What did it mean? He brushed it of though and walked a little faster.

Somewhere, one sleek raven almost looked as though it were smiling.

Emu: Hmmm…that was short too. Sorry about that but I had to stop to finish a report.

Puppetmon: what was with the Raven?

Emu: **Shrugs**

Puppetmon: you've been reading Poe again haven't you.

Emu: Possibly! Where is the furry one?

Cat: **Belches** Oh, just meeting the Raven. Hehehe

            Emu: 0.o


	3. To Dream

Emu: Wow….I actually made the next chapter! HURRAY!

Puppetmon: **Is reading a 'How to defeat you enemies' book.** Emu owns nothing.

Emu: What are you doing? 

Puppetmon: Preparing.

Emu: For what exactly?

Puppetmon: Crest's doom.

Emu: Alrighty then.

Red eyes pierced the darkness. They simmered slightly and then glared at her. Blazing with an unknown furry, they burned. A dark figure came out of nowhere and seemed to attach itself to those same evil eyes. The thing took on a form and bore a great resemblance to a raptor. The only real difference was that the beast thing was made entirely out of shadows and had no actual face except for those two blood red eyes. The creature somehow let out an unearthly scream into the night, hurting her ears. It bowed its massive head and uttered with an imaginary mouth one word, "Run."

            The girl gasped in fright and fled. Her legs became a blur of tan and the creature gave chase. Her breath hitched as her feet bounced off the ground. Faster and faster she ran but it always stayed right behind. He heart pounded against her rib cage, almost as if it would rip out of her body at any second and fly into the dirt. 

            'Don't look back!' she screamed mentally. 'Come on! Faster! FASTER!' Her inner cries heeded her in no way and her gut began to hurt. Why was it after her? WHAT was IT? She didn't know and under the circumstances she didn't care.

            The creature laughed darkly as gnarled twigs slashed her face and side. She was somewhere in a forest. Tress loomed menacingly on either side, and thrones jutted out from every which way. No animal life could be seen. The only noises were of her heavy breathing and the cruel laughs of the creature.

            It was almost upon her now. Shrieking with devilish delight. It had but one goal, and that was to rip the girl up until no one could identify her fleshy remains. Making faints swoops; it took joy in her panicked screams. Oh how it would take pleasure in slowly slicing one little piece from her bleeding body at a time. Its eyes glowed fiercely with a sinister anticipation.

            A startled yelp escaped the girl throat when she tripped on a twisted stick. She just barely managed to roll to the side before the thing flew past. It screeched to a halt just short of a boulder and slowly turned to stare at her. Razor claws appeared accompanied by a long blade on the things tail. Digging its firmly into the soft soil, the creature prepared to attack.

            The girl cringed, waiting for just the precise moment. If she moved just a fraction of a second off, those sharp weapons would tear her head clear off of her body.  She crouched low and rubbed her injured ankle, gazing in terror at the beast before her. Time seemed to freeze as the two merely looked at one another. But that was shattered when, without warning, the thing charged full speed.

            Dirt flew in every direction as the creature drew near. The girl looked as though she was paralyzed. Closer came the roaring monster but the girl couldn't bring herself to move. Not yet. 'Wait for it! Wait for it!' she told herself. When the gleaming blades were only but a few inches from their target, the girl flung herself out of the way.

            Bruises collected on her delicate skinned as she toppled down a tree-lined hill. She tried in vain to stop tumbling but kept flying down the hill. Jagged rocks sharp enough to maul her, rested at the bottom. She clawed frantically at the earth. 'Too fast! NO!' Hand-fulls of dirt and thin grass were all that she got in return for her struggle.

            The rocks lay just ahead. There was not time to think, no time to breath. She let out one last anguished cry, as she was about to meet her gory doom. Tears slid down her swelling checks. The rocks neared and then…she hit something soft.

            'But how?' she thought before taking in her new surroundings. She was sitting on a comfortable bed. The sheets were white and the frame was made of a shiny brass.  The peculiar thing was that the bed was high on a mountain. 

            The girl cautiously stepped down from her perch and checked for any serious damage. Finding none, she began to search for anything that might tell her where she was.

 While looking around, she happened to find a fountain. It was made of a dark marble that had the tiniest hint of ivy growing on it. The fountain itself looked like a serpent on one side and an eagle on the other. Pure, clear water shot out of a bowl placed on the eagle and serpent's heads, and flowed into a small pool of brilliant covered fish. All around statues that seemed both good and evil were carved.

Her hand lifted up on its own accord and reached for a white marble angel. The tips of her fingers barely grazed the sculpture when a voice broke through the still air.

"Beautiful isn't?" a silky voice asked. The girl quickly jerked her hand away. She spun around to see a woman in a black velvet dress. The woman had silvery hair and a dark blue amulet hung from her neck. No shoes were on her feet and her pale skin glistened in a sun that the girl just realized was there.

"Who are you," she asked meekly.

"I am the one who watches over this garden," replied the woman softly.

"Is it yours?"

"In a sense it is." The woman stood and walked over to a bright orange flower. She carefully pet its small petals and continued. "It was given to me you see. This used to belong to another mistress but she became too old and was unable to sustain it." The girl nodded gradually and inched toward the woman. "Flowers are quite delicate, wouldn't you say?" asked the woman suddenly.

"I guess so," the girl got some bravery and came very close to the strange woman.

"Almost as thought they were souls. Souls are quite delicate too you know. They don't take much to break but if fed properly, they can grow into something wonderful. Some should need protecting I think. Would you?"

The girl was flabbergasted and questioned, "Would I what?"

"Would you protect a soul?" the woman answered simply. 

"I might," the girl said uncertainly.

"I do hope that you will. Unpleasant things happen when a soul loses its light. Just like flowers, they need a sun. But it can't just be a sun alone you know. It has to be love too."

"Love?"

"Of course, those who love and those who brighten have very different yet very important jobs when it comes to cultivating a soul. Without those and others things though, souls become evil misshapen beings. Almost like the one that chased you."

The girl gaped. How could this woman know about that? She was about to ask when the woman stood and began to walk away. "WAIT! Who are you? What did you mean? How do you know these things," cried the girl to the retreating form.

"In time dear, in time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kari jolted awake. Sweat cascaded down her shivering form. 'What was that about? What did it mean? Who was that woman?' Kari tried to collect her thoughts but was unable to. Sighing, she fell back on her pillow. No need to worry Tai, it probably didn't mean anything. She reassured herself and closed her eyes, but she couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something was about to happen.

Emu: THERE! I hope you're happy now! It is 1:40 a.m. I stayed up all that time just to rite this.

Puppetmon: **Goes out the door**

Emu: Where are you going?!

Puppetmon: TO THE TANK CLUB!

Emu: WHY?!  
Puppetmon: SUPPLIES!

Emu: Sometimes I wonder….0.o I have decided to rewrite the prologue and shall do so tomorrow. Right now, I have to finish a story for school. BYE!


	4. That Morning (For lack of a better title...

Emu: WOW! I have reviews…And they're good. YAY! 

Cat: Alright, how much did you pay them?

Puppetmon: Or how many pounds of crack did you force them to take?

Emu: **Falls over** Gee, thanks for the support. Anyway, sorry that this took a while. Oh, and there WILL be lots and lots of Ken torture, I have to build up an actual plot first though. I am sadly not talented enough to do both at the same time. I also haven't rewritten the prologue yet. I am not certain if I am going to. I might though because of a new idea I have, so we will just have to see. So thanks for the reviews and enjoy!

(Note: The first chapter was during the day. The second chapter was that night. This chapter is the next morning)

Beep! Beep! Beep! A groan escapes tired lips. Beep! Beep! Beep! The persistent beeping resounds from the annoying device. Beep! Beep! Beep! A hand swats lethargically. Beep! Beep! Bee…CRASH! Two bodies jerk awake as the alarm clock sails into the wall.

            Davis blinked slowly as his mind tried to register what had happened. Demiveemon dropped out of the great disarray of mattresses, pillows, and sheets that one might have called a bed. "What happen?" Davis asked confused

            "Clock went beep," Demiveemon replied from his spot on the carpeted floor. The small creature yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Davis nodded languidly and fell back onto his pillow. He wrapped the thin sheets around his body and gradually closed his eyes. It took three short seconds before he shot up. 

            "WHAT?!" he shrieked loudly.

            Demiveemon looked up and answered slowly, "Um, the clock thingy, it beeped." Davis' eyes widened and he vainly tried to jump out of bed. Landing with a THUMP on the floor, he continued to struggle with the tangled sheets. Demiveemon cocked his small head to the side as he wondered what this odd behavior was all about. "What's wrong?" Demiveemon spoke his thoughts while scratching his chin.

            "Meeting! Park! Gotta go NOW!" Davis yelled distractedly. He escaped the matted sheets and sprung at a nearby oak dresser. Yanking on a new blue shirt and ripping off his navy pajama top, he looked frantically for the trademark goggles that Tai had given him. The older boy had bestowed them upon him when he had first entered the digital world as a sign that he was the new leader. At least, he was SUPPOSED to be the leader but sometimes it didn't quite feel that way.

            Finally finding the treasured goggles, Davis pulled the goggles over his mess of spiky brown hair. Satisfied that they would stay on, he grabbed a perplexed Demiveemon, and bolted out the door. Stuffing some toast that had been laid out for him in his mouth, Davis threw open the front door to his apartment and flew around the corner. Nearly tripping more than once, he was almost to the elevator when Demiveemon cried, "Davis! Aren't you forgetting something?"

            "What are you talking a…" Davis stopped mid-sentence as he realized that it was very drafty. A deep blush crept onto his face as he discovered that he was still wearing his red Haynes. (AN: My friends and I couldn't decide if Davis was more of a boxers or briefs type so we compromised. I don't know if they have Haynes that size but I really don't care. DO NOT LECTURE ME ON UNDERWEAR!) Grinning sheepishly, he uttered a small oops and ran back into his apartment.

            Meanwhile, the rest of the digidestined were waiting impatiently at the Odiaba Park for some late arrivals. Yolei stamped her foot on the ground and said irritably, "Where are they? They were supposed to be here an hour ago! It's what? Eight?"

            "Calm down," Sora soothed. For once she was not wearing in her school uniform but instead was adorned in a white tank top, some baggy jeans, and a blue headband in her deep red hair. She was sitting on a splintered green bench near the monkey bars next to her good friend Mimi. Mimi had flown up to Japan from her new home in America and had decided to spend the rest of her summer in her old home. Mimi had grown her hair out to her waist and now had it in a loose ponytail hanging at the back of her head. It was also now a dark, almost black red. Her white jeans seemed to cling to her legs, and her blue dress shirt gripped her form tightly. On her feet she wore some stylish new sandals that had twine twisting back and forth to form the top and sides. Sora added hastily, "I'm sure that they'll be here soon."

            "Now this type of tardiness I would expect from Davis but what's up with Kari? I'd even expect it from Tai! Maybe it's some kind of leader defect," Yolei resumed her rant, ignoring Sora's comments. Yolei's long lavender hair shimmered in the sun and was tucked back by a blue bandana. She had on a pair of black dress pants and a long sleeved maroon shirt, dotted with lines of a deep blue. Her glasses caught the rays of light in such a way, that it made it look like she had no real eyes. It was almost blinding to look directly at them. They seemed to give her an extra air of authority.

            While Yolei strutted back and forth raving about how rude it was to be late, TK held a quiet conversation with his older brother Matt. "Why are you so tense?" Matt softly asked while leaning against a tremendous tree. Flakes of moss were barely gripping it and they seemed to blend in with the greenish t-shirt that Matt was wearing. Creases appeared in his dark jeans as he rotated his weight.

            "I'm just worried is all," TK said just as quietly.

            "Really? What about?"

            "Well, it's just that," TK paused, searching for the right words. "I guess I just _feel _like something's wrong, you know?" Matt nodded with his eyes closed, as though he were in deep thought. "I mean, Kari is always on time unless something's wrong and I think something's also troubling Ken," TK continued on. Both brothers turned to look at the said digidestined of kindness. Ken was distanced slightly away from the others, close to a sparkling pond that a few ducks leisurely swam in. Ken gazed intently at the ground out of tired eyes. Dark circles seemed to weight them down but they didn't take away from the deep concentration found within them. His dark navy hair was slightly tussled but for the most part wasn't so bad. He was wearing his normal school uniform and was leaning against a wooden railing. When Ken had first arrived to Odaiba from his train, the others had asked if he was all right but had gotten no response other than 'Sure, I'm okay.' TK didn't buy it.

            "Yeah, I know what you mean," Matt spoke slowly. "There is defiantly something wrong. We shouldn't pressure him too hard though. I know that when you want to keep something hidden, it's hard to let it out. We should confront him after the picnic and make sure that he's okay then," Matt wisely said, never breaking his stare at Ken.

            "I guess so. That still leaves Kari. What do you suppose is wrong?" Matt only shrugged in reply. TK thought for a moment and then added, " Do you think it could be the dark ocean?"

            "Well, Kari does seem to have an attraction to it and so does Ken from what I've been told. Darkness doesn't usually give up on its victims so easily," Matt stated.

            TK's brow furrowed, "Then we will just have to stop it, won't we?"

            Matt stayed silent for a while, "But what if we can't?"

Back to Davis. He was currently sprinting top speed towards the park. He had on some khaki shorts and had even stuffed an extra pair into a small backpack that he had decided to take at the last moment. Rounding a corner, he could make out two figures n the distance. One had a mess of bushy brown hair and the other had medium straight hair. The first was fairly tall, had on some black soccer shorts, a deep blue shirt dotted with some yellow stars, and had on some sneakers. The second figure wore long pink gloves, a white t-shirt, some dark pink pants, and had a camera draped about its neck. A third figure could be seen upon closer inspection and looked to be a white cat with yellow gloves. Davis waved as he approached the figure and shouted, "Hey Tai! Hello Kari!"

            Tai turned around and waved back. "Hey Davis! Late as usual, eh?"

            "Hey! Looks like I'm not the only one who's late," Davis panted as he caught up to the other two. They all continued to walk to the park. Davis glanced at Kari and wondered if something was wrong. There were very slight bags under her eyes; that's not what really bothered him. Normally she would smile and say hello once he arrived but she was currently just staring at the ground. Gatomon was fidgeting from time to time and kept glancing at her as well. "Hey Kari. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little out of it," Davis said bluntly. 

            "I'm fine," Kari looked up briefly with a small smile. "I'm just a little tired is all." Davis wanted to question her further but stopped when he saw Tais worried expression. He supposed that he would just ask him later. Tai was a lot easier to talk to then Kari was.

            "Well, don't worry. When we start the picnic, I'll help wake you up! We can't have you falling asleep on the food after all! Then you'd get all sticky and I just might have to throw you in the lake to wash you off!" Kari just smiled softly at Davis' attempts to cheer her up. It was a few short minutes after that that they met up with the others.

            Everyone had come together into a group and was chatting about this and that, everyone except for Ken and Kari. Kari had edged slowly over towards ken. She knew that if anyone could help her understand her dream, ken could. By the looks of it Ken also had something on his mind, she figured that they both might help each other. She was almost over to where Ken was when Izzy suddenly called out, "Guy! I just got an urgent e-mail from Gennai! We're need in the digital world, NOW!"

Emu: Okay, that chapter was boring. I tried to liven it up a bit with the part at the beginning though, so I hope that you enjoyed that. I actually took sometime to plan this out but I came up with one too many good ideas so I still may have to sit down and pick one. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon.

Cat: HOPEFULLY being the word.

Emu: Shut up. Also, I think I may start to dedicate these chapters to people so if you want one, you can ask. Sometimes people get offended if you dedicate a chapter to them though. I did that once over my e-mail account. I don't know why they freaked out on me. Oh, well.


	5. Losing Control

Emu: **Looks ashamed** been a while, huh?

Cat: A while? We've all grown old!

Puppetmon: And bitter.

Cat: And angry.

Puppetmon: AND WE WANT THE BUBBLEGUM!

Emu: You're right. Sigh. I'm sorry…well, except for the gum that is.

Puppetmon: **Pouts**

Emu: So here is the next installment of Dark Soul. I am still uncertain of how I'm going to finish this. I thought up too many ideas. Maybe I'll just tell you all the alt. Ideas at the end and if one sounds better than the original, I'll do that one too. Oh, and thank you SO much for the reviews. Sniff. I luv ya guys! WAHAHAAHA

Cat: **Hands Emu a tissue** Stop blubbering…

The digidestined groaned painfully. Once again they had landed in a bundle of tangled limbs. Once again they scrambled to extract themselves from one another. And once again poor Izzy was squished mercilessly. 

"Ow! Would you stop that?" Izzy whined as a foot connected with his jaw.

"I would if someone would stop elbowing me!" Yolei growled.

"Is that my elbow?" Tai blinked. 

"Arg, isn't anyone untangled yet?" TK moaned.

"As a matter of fact, I happen to be," Hawkmon answered from his position a few feet away from the struggling mass. He had somehow managed to fly out of harms way, while he was evolving from his rookie form. 

"Then maybe you could direct us out of this predicament?" TK rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I suppose I could. Let's see. Sora, roll to your left. Tai, remove your elbow from Yolei. TK and Davis you two should stand together. Kari, if you could rotate your knee slightly. Yes, that's it. Now I believe Joe can stand. Good. Good. Ken, you and Wormon lean backwards, and turn to your right. Great. Now Kari and Gatomon are free. Matt, Tai, Yolei, and Demiveemon roll towards the wall closest to you and you're out. Hmm, that should leave Cody and Armadillomon near the edge. You two can stand up now. Sora, you and Mimi should be alright to get up. And…oh my! Could someone assist Izzy? I do believe he's been crushed."

 Izzy nodded gratefully to Tai as he was hefted to his feet. After making sure that everyone was in good health, the digidestined took a good look at their surroundings. It appeared as though they were in a small white room, furnished only with one small table, an old lamp, and the computer from which they just came out of. In sort, it was noting special.

"So where are we exactly?" Davis inquired. 

"Unless I'm mistaken, this is Gennai's house," Izzy answered. 

"Not much for interior decoration is he?" Yolei mumbled.

"Don't be fooled by the blandness of this room, wait until you get to the living room," Matt said coolly. 

"What's in the living room?" Cody wanted to know.

"Fish. We are in a lake. However, we'll explain that later, right now we should find Gennai," Izzy opined. Everyone agreed that this was the best course of action, and even though the new Digidestined bore puzzled expressions, they thought it best to have their questions answered later. Thus, the small band started to make their way out of the sparse room. Upon leaving through a small doorway, the Digidestined found themselves in a darkened hallway.

"Why aren't there any lights on out here?" Davis wondered aloud. All he got was a shrug in reply. The dark corridor stretched eerily into a harsh black. No one dared to move as silence enveloped them. Nervously, the Digidestined shifted and strained to hear even a pin drop that might indicate some sort of life.

"Maybe Gennai's not home," Izzy licked his dry lips. "Or he could be asleep."

"But he contacted us moments ago right?" Matt softly pointed out. "I mean, the computer's still on so he must be here."

"Yea," Sora agreed anxiously. "He can't be far. Also, why would he bother to drag us here if it wasn't important?" Sora's question hung in the dead air unanswered. After minutes of tense stillness, Izzy jerked himself upright and shuffled slowly down the hall.

"What are you doing Izzy?" rasped Tai. 

"Finding Gennai," was the curt response.

"Look, something's definitely up. I just don't know if rushing into things is wise." 

"Being wise is my department Tai. I know what I'm doing. Besides, aren't you supposed to be the brave one?" Izzy's voice, though full of fear, dripped with sarcasm. 

"If we're going to try to find this guy, we could at least use some light," Cody rationally stated. 

"Too bad Agumon's not here, eh Tai?" Matt attempted to joke. Tai momentarily forgot about the situation at hand, as he thought nostalgically about his absent partner. 

"Well, since Agumon isn't here, what do we use as light," Mimi asked bluntly.

After a pause, Ken held up his faintly glowing D3. "It's not much," he said, "but if we use all of our digivices then we can at least make sure not to run into anything." The others nodded and quickly whipped out their own D3s and digivices. Using the combined glow that they now held in their hands, the Digidestined edged slowly down the hall. Their footsteps echoed throughout the seemingly abandoned house. As the group neared the end of their path, a pale yellow light reached their vision. They stepped cautiously into the source of the light and found themselves in a kitchen. 

The kitchen, like the room they had just emerged from, was hardly decorated. Aside from a small refrigerator, a counter with a sink meshed into it, and a single round table, there was only a plain, white light fixture hanging from the ceiling. Lowering their digivices, the assembled party swiftly flooded into the room. 

"Does anyone else get the distinct feeling that something really bad has happened," Joe voice quivered.

Before anyone had the chance to reply, a dark voice answered. "Why yes Joe, I do." Red eyes materialized from a shadowed corner. Shining teeth slowly revealed themselves as a crooked grin accompanied the eyes. The flash of a knife could barely be seen as the figure vaulted into the air with an inhuman screech. TK hissed painfully. The knife had slashed the outer edge of his arm when he had dodged too slowly out of the insane attackers way. Laughing manically at the sight of oozing blood, the shadowed figure prepared another leap. 

"V HEAD BUTT!" the unknown assailant was propelled backwards as a blue blur slammed into his stomach.

"STICKY NET!" he was then trapped in a mass of sticky goo. The large knife cluttered harmlessly to the floor.

"Are you alright TK?" Matt desperately asked, voice full of concern.

"Yea," came the shaky reply. "Only scratched my shoulder."

"RELEASE ME YOU FOOLS!" the enraged cry drew the Digidestined back to their captured being. A collective gasp spread among them.

"GENNAI?!"

"Wonderful. You all deserve cookies," Gennai snarled with an evil glint in his eye. He was wearing his usual outfit except that it was completely black. His wrinkled face also looked grey and unless the children were mistaken, his skin looked almost…scaly. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Gennai howled and he began to struggle against his bounds. 

"What's wrong? What's happened to you?" Izzy cried. "Come on Gennai! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Izzy then did something completely unexpected, he slapped Gennai. Gennai's eyes lost their red glow and they drooped shut. He shook himself as if to clear his mind.

"Izzy?" he asked hesitantly. "Everyone?" A note of urgency suddenly appeared in Gennai's voice, "Quickly! You must all get out of here now! Go to your left, down that hallway, and out the door! Get as far away as possible. Don't try to return to the real world! It's too dangerous. MOVE! NOW! Before THEY find you! You can't let them corrupt you! You can't let…" Gennai's voice was cut off as he began thrashing wildly. Piercing screams escaped his withered lips.

"Let's get out of here!" Davis snapped everyone out of their momentary stupor. Not having to be told twice, the Digidestined did as Gennai had instructed them. Soon, they burst out of the lake in which Gennai's house was situated. Panting, they tired to catch their breath.

"What's…happening?" Sora huffed.

"I'm not sure. Was it..wise…to…leave Gennai…like that?" Joe gasped back.

"Maybe not. But…we…need to…figure…out…what's going…" Cody never finished his statement. He, along with the others, was too busy starring wide-eyed at the sky. Giant black gaps like opened wounds, ripped across the atmosphere. And a blood red sun was sinking slowly behind smoking mountains.

Emu: Hmm definitely isn't one of my best. In fact, I don't really like this chapter. Aw well. I PROMISE it'll get much better soon.

Puppetmon: uh huh. Right.

Cat: What was up with that psycho old dude?

Emu: All in good time my furry companion, all in good time.

Cat: If by good you mean many months then I'm not staying to find out. It isn't worth it.

Emu: OF COURSE IT IS! It'll get better, and it shall. I dunno, I've been in a creative slump lately okay?! BUT IT WILL GET BETTER!!! Bye!


End file.
